7.4 There are teachers everywhere

子曰、三人行、必有我師焉、擇其善者而從之、其不善者而改之。

The Master said, ‘When I walk along with two others, they may serve me as my teachers. I will select their good qualities and follow them, their bad qualities and avoid them.’

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Discussion:

Last week there was a question about where or whom to learn from.  Confucius said, look around, whenever there are three or more people, there is a teacher and we can learn.  How?  If we observe good in people, we learn to be it.  If we observe bad in people, we help to correct it.  As no one is the same, there is always something to learn!   This is line with the prior teaching on the Superior Man, where one seeks to bring the good out of people, and dissolve the bad.  This is beneficial to both the individual, and the collective, i.e. a win-win situation.

Of course, this is speaking from the dualistic and separated paradigm.   From a nondualistic and united paradigm, the world is observe as a manifestation of one’s perception, i.e. from one’s own self.  In such state, this teaching stills applied:  All can be seen as teachers, and that one can manifest the good and dissolve the negative of all.  This requires wisdom to see, compassion to embrace, and devotion to carry out.